Valerie and Leandro’s wedding was gorgeous. Kelvin and Sarah did an amazing job photographing this wedding, and I am so excited to be able to finally show it on the blog! The wedding took place at the Hotel Vitale in San Francisco. It was the perfect location for their New Year’s day wedding celebration. This is one of those weddings that just turned out perfectly. Every image is gorgeous. I’m so glad we got to be a part of it!

Simple, yet sophisticated white calla lily bouquet. And I LOVE the locket attached, what a perfect finishing touch. Floral perfection by Nancy Liu Chin of Nancy Liu Chin Designs

After getting gorgeous, Valerie and Leandro had a private meeting prior to the ceremony on the rooftop of Hotel Vitale. As I’ve said a thousand times before, I love private meetings before the ceremony. Love them! It’s very romantic. See that image above? What did Valerie want to do when she first laid eyes on her soon to be husband? She wanted to touch him, hold him and spend a few quiet moments enjoying one another. And they did just that. Kelvin and Sarah took them out and about to capture some beautiful images of the two of them prior to all the excitement of the day.

I just love how their portraits turned out. So relaxed, carefree, and full of joy. These images have that “editorial” look to them. Very nice! I’m giving a presentation at the Wedding University on Sunday, January 31st, and I’m using a number of their wedding images in my presentation.

I love Valerie’s expression on this one above. I just love it when a moment like this is captured that is so real and so strong, you almost feel as though you should turn away and give them some privacy. They are so perfect for each other these two!

Sarah caught this great image of them walking back to Hotel Vitale.  I really, really love this one. Just the feeling, the movement, the texture.

The wedding ceremony was held on the rooftop of the hotel, overlooking gorgeous views of the Bay.

This ring bearer got to hold the actual rings!

The pinstriping on Leandro’s tie adds a lot of character. It’s all in the little details…

And they are married!

Here’s a stunning indoor portrait of the bride. The lighting behind adds a nice touch of glamor!

The reception was held in a clear tent, with gorgeous branches & twinkle lights. What a great space!

Photo booths are such a fun way to get people loosened up. They had this great little setup on the cocktail table with a photo album, markers, glue sticks etc.

Congratulations to you both!

Congrats to Shalini and Martin, their wedding was recently featured in the magazine Celeb Life. We’ve got a lot of gorgeous weddings in upcoming magzines, stay tuned for more. Great job Kelvin!

That’s right, 3 nights at a swanky Four Seasons in a warm, tropical locale. This, and many other cool prizes are being given away at the Wedding University on January 31st. The Wedding University is an all day event, a classroom styled day of education for brides, grooms and those heavily involved in the process. I’ll be speaking with Kevin Chin, a fellow photographer, and we’ll be sharing the inside secrets to getting the most out of your photography, understanding portraits, and answering all your questions. There’s also a session on bridal style, lighting and decor, music and first dances, choosing a menu, and much more. The decor displays are amazing, showcasing not only the hot trends of 2010, but also showcasing styles in different budget ranges. It’s going to be a fantastic all day event, so if you are interested, grab your tickets, they WILL sell out. Besides 3 nights in a sunny destination, I’m giving away an engagement session with a hair and makeup session with Armando of Get Your Do Up! just prior so you’ll look your best. There’s another session with the always fabulous & soon to be excellent golfer Kevin Chin (my husband Geoff and Kelvin are serious golfers in training together) gown preservation from Gabrielle’s Bridal as well as a veil , tea at Crown and Crumpet, and an ipod full of wedding tunes from Ron Grandia of A Different Kind of DJ a Save the Date Video from Studio MSV and assorted other prizes. It’s going to be an amazing, fun educational day. If you want to learn more details and get your tickets you can follow this link to Weddings 360 to learn more.

January 30th is the date for the 2010 Wedding University taking place at the Four Seasons in Palo Alto. This is a fantastic day of learning the inside secrets to wedding planning from the pros. You’ll be educated about selecting a menu, setting a budget, design and decor, dance instruction and of course photography! Kevin Chin and I will be presenting again this year and we’ll be explaining a lot of the terms and mysteries behind wedding photography. We’ll give lots of great tips on how to get the most from your photography regardless of who you have hired. There will also be a fashion show, table settings featuring the latest trends and incredibly decadent food all day long. Plus the best part is the prizes! tropical Four Seasons honeymoon, engagement sessions, etc.  It’s an amazing event, not to be missed! You can get all the details right here, and be sure to get your tickets before they sell out! I will be posting more info in the coming days, so check back frequently!

I was so excited recently to have an opportunity to photograph a stunning event at the California Academy of Sciences. This was actually my first time visiting the new building, and it was absolutely breath-taking! Morgan Doan, of Morgan Events, one of my favorite event planners, put together an extraordinary 50th birthday party in a matter of weeks. The party rented out the CA Academy of Sciences for their private event, and Morgan created some amazing spaces. The African Hall was the location for the dinner, set up with one king’s table running the length of the room. It was visually stunning, to say the least. The theme of the event was wine with an autumn color palate. Jerry, the birthday boy, was “aged to perfection” and this concept was used on the invitations and menu cards. Every detail was perfect, from the gorgeous cork invitations, the wines selected from Jerry’s private collection, the centerpieces, textured linens, to the band. It was truly one of those parties people will be talking about years later.

The lighting for the event was done by Got Light? and was done so beautifully, I was able to capture most of the gorgeous details without flash-I love my primes!

The centerpieces by Soulflower Floral Design were perfect-the height worked really well for the king’s table design, yet did not interfere with conversation. I loved the “runner” of wine corks. The textures and colors of the floral design was a gorgeous compliment to the space.

The cocktail hour started downstairs in the aquarium. The cocktail tables were set up in a little aquarium alcove, and the lighting was incredible. The lighting you see here is all part of the CA Academy of Sciences everyday! I’m definitely going to have to go back there when I have more time to just wander around and enjoy the space and exhibits. Guests seemed to really enjoy mingling with friends, enjoying wine, and wandering through the exhibits.

Taste Catering put together an amazing meal, working closely with a wine sommelier to pair each course with wines from Jerry’s private collection.

White leather couches created a warm ambiance in the after dinner lounge area. Guests enjoyed an amazing cheese and desserts spread, along with an espresso bar from Travelin’ Joe Espresso.

And here’s the two women responsible for this amazing event, Jerry’s lovely wife and Morgan Doan, one of the Bay Area’s best event planners.